The present invention relates to a device for retaining an article on an item of clothing, for example retaining a billfold in a pocket, the device being intended to be attached to the article to be retained, and comprising a rigid U-shaped staple provided with means for attachment to the said article, on which staple are mounted, on the one hand, a resilient member the end of which is intended to penetrate into the item of clothing on which the said article is located, in case of relative movement tending to separate the said article from the said item of clothing, and, on the other hand, a control means mounted to slide on the staple between two positions, the said resilient member being aligned obliquely, from one wing of the staple to the other, towards the base of this staple, in a first position of the control means, and being moved away from the opposite wing in the second position of the control means.